This invention is directed to a tremolo system on a guitar in which a tremolo arm can swing out to a tremolo position in which the associated bridge or tremolo block is floating (allowing the guitar player to bend the notes) and can swing back to a lock position where the bridge or block is locked and does not move.
Tremolo is a well known feature in the music world, and many of these have names such as Steinberger, Floyd Rose and Kahler, and are found on many Fender guitars. Basically, the guitar is provided with a “floating bridge”, where the strings terminate. The bridge is on a “tremolo block” that fits into an opening in the guitar body and is pivoted horizontally, with a set of springs mounted to one side of the pivot to balance the tension of the strings on the other side of the pivot. A tremolo arm extends out from the block so the player can move the bar down and up to relieve some of the tension on the strings and change the pitch to bend the notes.
The invention here involves a simple system for the tremolo block that combines the tremolo arm with a cam locking mechanism so that when the arm is swung to a position for actuating the tremolo the locking pin on the cam is away from a mating socket or receiver, but when the arm is swung the other way, the cam pushes the pin into the locking socket so the tremolo is inactive and the string tension doesn't change. The position of the receiver or socket can be easily adjusted by the guitarist so that the string tension when the bridge is floating matches the string tension (and tuning) when the bridge is locked.